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TEST REPORT
DVB-T and DVD Player Receiver
Panodic
DVD320
56 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 03-04/2014 — www.TELE-audiovision.com
•two-in-one set-top box with
excellent OSD user interface
•accepts all video formats
•1080p video output available
•suitable also for visually impaired
users
•fast DVB-T channel search
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TEST REPORT
DVB-T and DVD Player Receiver
Entertainment Out of the
Box – With a Single Box!
Even at first sight the build
quality of the DVD320 is truly impressive. Once again,
Panodic shows that receivers don’t necessarily have to
look bland, dull and uninspiring. What a welcome change!
The front panel of this DVB-T
receiver with integrated DVD
player features the disc tray
as well as three buttons for
operating the device without
the remote control. Added to
that are a segment display and
an easily accessible USB port.
The back panel of the DVD320
sports the RF input and output
sockets for DVB-T reception,
plus a total of six RCA jacks
for stereo audio, composite
video and YUV, apart from an
HDMI socket. Added to that is
a digital audio output that is,
however, only available as a
coax socket without an optical
counterpart.
The remote control that is
shipped with the DVD320 has
to take care of both receiver
and DVD functions, which
means the number of buttons
is on the high side. Nonetheless, Panodic did a great job
and whizzed up an easy-touse layout which requires little to no familiarisation so that
first-time users should also
get the hang of it in next to
no time at all. In general, the
remote control is quite large
due to the many buttons that
are required for efficient operation.
While the level of workmanship and the build quality of
the DVD320 deserve our highest praise we would have appreciated a second USB port
on the back panel for a permanently attached external
USB storage medium.
If you take the remote control in your hand for the first
time you’ll probably notice a
key labelled DVD/STB right
away. You might suspect why
it’s there, and you’ll get proof
as soon as you turn on the
box. Rather than integrating
DVD functions into the DVB-T
receiver software Panodic has
opted to neatly create two
fully independent environments (DVB-T reception and
DVD player) in a single box,
using the same signal outputs. So the DVD/STB button
on the remote is your point of
departure and takes you to
one of the two environments.
The great thing is that you
can switch between modes
no matter what the box is
currently up to. This interest-
ing overall strategy deserves
a closer look, which is why
this test report also consists
of two sections, dealing with
DVB-T functions and DVD features individually.
When you switch on the
DVB-T receiver for the very
first time it wants to find out
your exact reception region,
as well as your preferred
OSD language, video output
resolution and aspect ratio.
We did like the fact that the
DVD320 supports all major
European languages and also
provides its video output in
1080p 50/60Hz quality, if desired. While this represents
the top of the line video resolution, the following options
are available as well: 480i,
480p, 576i, 576p, 720p 50
Hz, 720p 60 Hz, 1080i 50 Hz
and 1080i 60 Hz. If you don’t
want to decide yourself you
can also leave it to the box
by selecting either “By Native TV” (highest supported
resolution of the attached TV
panel) or “By Source” (resolution of the source material).
The initial set-up is completed
with a channel search, which
in our case only took two minutes and four seconds and
detected all available DVB-T
frequencies at our location.
The main menu of the
DVD320 is of the classic kind,
which means it is easy to navigate and makes for a straightforward user experience – just
what we expect from Panodic.
It goes without saying that
the whole range of channel
editing options are available,
so that users can easily rename, move, sort, PIN-lock
or delete individual entries. A
03-04/2014
Panodic DVD320
Perfect companion for watching
terrestrial TV and content on discs
and external storage media.
www.TELE-audiovision.com/14/03/panodic
0.53
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total of eight favourites lists
can be set up so that each
family member can customise
his or her own list, or you may
opt to create genre lists or
be creative in any other way.
If you use an indoor antenna
with active signal amplification you’ll be happy to know
that the DVD320 can be set to
provide the required voltage
via the coax cable. The large
range of personalisation options is completed by a number of OSD adjustments, the
possibility to activate audio
description of images by default and to turn on or off the
automatic time-shift buffer.
During everyday use we noticed that the Panodic DVD320
reacts very swiftly to all commands sent from the remote
control and that the OSD design makes for an above average user experience. Every
time a new channel is selected the inserted info bar presents the title of the current
and next event for a few seconds. Of course an electronic
program guide (EPG) is available as well, showing the current and next events for five
channels at a time. Since the
DVD320 is a PVR receiver timer entries can be created right
from EPG view by simply clicking on the event that should
be recorded. Unfortunately,
the number of timer entries is
limited to eight events.
If you want to switch to another channel you can either
press the OK button to call up
the overall channel list or go
to one of the favourites lists.
New channels appeared in
less than one second in our
test, which adds tremendous
fun to zapping. We also liked
the smart integration and implementation of all PVR features: Up to two recordings
can take place simultaneously
while a third event is being
watched live. Channels that
are not available for live viewing due to recordings taking
place automatically disappear
from the channel list, so it’s
all a very straightforward affair of what you see is what
you get. The Panodic DVD320
also comes with goodies such
as an integrated OSD tele-
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text decoder, dedicated menu
buttons for language selection and subtitles, multi-picture mode for an overview of
what’s showing on different
channels, and – last but by no
means least – software updates via the USB port. MP3
music files as well as video
files in the AVCHD, AVI, DivX,
Flash, Full HD, MOV, MP4,
MPEG, TS and WMV formats
can be played back flawlessly
and if you want to use your
TV panel for a slideshow with
your latest holiday photos we
can confirm that both JPEG
and BMP images work nicely
and add the finishing touches
to the already wide range of
features of this Panodic box.
When compared with all
the DVB-T options, the DVD
mode of the DVD320 has not
even half the features and
functions. But then again,
this was to be expected in the
first place. We did appreciate
the fact that the DVD player
willingly accepted and played
back the DVD+- R/RW, VCD,
CD, CD-R and CD-RW formats, which leaves nothing to
desire. In addition, it can be
used as a fully-fledged multimedia jukebox for a wide
range of file formats. In DVD
player mode, the video output resolution can be set at
480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i and
1080p, or the DVD320 can be
set to automatically use the
1. Initial set-up of the Panodic
DVD320
2. DVB-T channel search
3. Main menu of the Panodic
DVD320
4. Channel list editing
5. A total of eight favourites
lists are available
6. The DVB-T receiver offers
either an automatic or a manual
search
7. Manual channel search
8. The automatic search can
be restricted to free-to-air
channels
9. Language settings
10. Adjusting the video output
resolution
11. Setting the internal clock
12. A total of eight timer entries
can be created
13. OSD settings
14. Favourites lists can be given
individual names
15. Visually impaired users can
permanently activate audio
description of images
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16. The video of several channels can be presented in multi-view
mode
17. If an indoor antenna with active signal amplification is used, the
DVD320 provides the required voltage right via the coax cable
18. Software updates of the Panodic DVD320 are possible through
the USB port
19. The integrated media player handles a large variety of file
formats
20. All tested video files were played back flawlessly
21. Overview of existing recordings
22. PVR settings
23. MP3 playback
24. M2TS video playback
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resolution of the DVD source
material. While some options
in regard to language settings
are available, these are more
limited than those in DVB-T
mode. A child lock system can
be activated and you may set
the player to remember the
last position of a playback so
that you can continue from
that precise point.
25. AVI video playback
26. DivX video playback
27. Flash video playback
28. Full HD video playback
29. MOV video playback
30. MP4 video playback
31. TS video playback
32. Channel list of the
Panodic DVD320
33. The info bar shows the
title of the current and next
event
34. OSD teletext
35. Language selection
36. Choosing your preferred
Never taking a manufacturer’s word for anything, we
threw a number of different
DVDs and CDs, including rewritable discs, at the Panodic
DVD320 and the box was happy with each and any of them.
By comparison, many other
DVD players we had used before were far less accepting,
so it’s thumbs up from us in
subtitles
37. EPG of five channels at
a time
38. Multi-picture view
39. Every time a new
recording begins the receiver
shows the remaining harddisk
capacity
40. Two recordings can be
made simultaneously. When
a third one is attempted an
alert message pops up
41. Two recordings can be
made simultaneously
42. All DVD functions, such
as different menus, are
available
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43. Language settings in DVD mode
44. Video output settings in DVD mode
45. Audio output settings in DVD mode
46. Child lock
47. If preferred, the DVD player memorises the position at which
playback was last stopped
48. Both in DVD mode and in DVB-T mode video output can set at
1080p (Full HD)
49. Direct selection of DVD chapters
50. The Panodic DVD320 cannot only access multimedia content
that is stored on a disc, but also process content fed from an
external USB storage medium
51. Various video formats are accepted from an external USB
storage medium in DVD mode
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terms of compatibility. The remote control comes with dedicated buttons for calling up
the DVD menu, chapter overview or for repeating a single
or all tracks. With user-friendliness at such a high level you
will hardly feel a need to look
for the user’s manual of the
DVD320.
Our test revealed that both
audio and video quality are
nothing short of impressive.
And thanks to its built-in USB
port the Panodic DVD320 in
DVD mode cannot only access
multimedia content on discs,
but can also be fed with content via this USB port. This
is particularly convenient for
those who have many ripped
DVDs stored onto an external
USB harddisk. Simply hook up
your external storage medium
and you’re all set to party.
We should like to mention
at this state that in DVD mode
the DVD320 can play back audio files in the M4A, MP3 and
WMA formats, while video
files must come as AVI, MP4,
MPEG or WMV only. This goes
to show that Panodic has well
and truly separated the DVBT mode from the DVD mode.
While both fall back on the
same output sockets, we’re
still talking about two completely independent environments.
In summary, the DVD player turned out to be a reliable
buddy for virtually all kinds of
DVDs and CDs. It was even capable of playing back a slightly
damaged disc that we tried
out. And if you enjoy watching
DVDs from all corners of the
globe we’ve got another piece
of good news for you: The
tested DVB-T/DVD box plays
back all region codes without
any restriction at all.
expert
OPINION
Panodic DVD320
DVD player & DVB-T receiver
RECOMMENDED
PRODUCT BY
Thomas Haring
Test Center
Austria
+ If you want a DVB-T receiver plus DVD player in a single box,
then look no further than the Panodic DVD320. We tested both
modes and it always cut a fine figure. Thanks to its user-friendly
and logical operation it is a perfect match not only for techies. We
also noticed its very low power consumption in standby mode –
which could hardly be measured at all.
– The DVB receiver currently only accepts DVB-T signals, the
DVD player is not compatible with the Blu-Ray standard.
More about this company
ENERGY
DIAGRAM
www.TELE-audiovision.com/12/03/panodic
Apparent Power
Mode
Active
StandBy
Apparent Active Factor
13 W
7W
0.53
0W
0W
1
Active Power
Active use during the first 15 minutes, followed
by 15 minutes in standby mode.
68 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 03-04/2014 — www.TELE-audiovision.com